Disney Plus Hits 50 Million Subscribers

Disney+ has reached 50 million paid subscribers within five months of its launch, according to Variety. That number is way beyond what Disney predicted for their streaming service at this point in the year. More than 21 million of those subscribers signed on since February 3, when Disney announced that Disney+ had 28.6 million users. The platform offers original content as well as titles from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and National Geographic.

One of the main reasons for this spike in membership was Disney+’s Western European debut: the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, France, and Switzerland. But the streaming platform’s real secret weapon was India — since its launch April 3, there’s been around 8 million additional signups in India alone. “We’re truly humbled that Disney Plus is resonating with millions around the globe,” said Kevin Mayer, chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, in a statement. “We are in the fortunate position of being able to deliver a vast array of great entertainment rooted in joy and optimism on Disney+.”

That joy and optimism is one of Disney+’s main selling points right now. During this global pandemic, people are looking to add a bit of Disney magic to their lives. In fact, just between the dates of Saturday, March 14 and Monday, March 16, Disney+’s signups tripled. This is a very good thing for Disney, but might present a problem in the future. How will Disney+ keep churning out fresh content in the coming months, as production everywhere has nearly ceased entirely? This is something Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime will have to face as well. Until then, you can always re-watch The Mandalorian.